AIW: 2012 JT Lightning Invitational Tournament

Cleveland, OH – 5.11.2012 – Day One

JLIT 2012 First Round Match
Kodama vs. Bobby Beverly

Beverly’s Intense Division title is not on the line. Chest Flexor is in his corner. Beverly rakes Kodama’s eyes. Kodama bites him in retaliation. Beverly throws Kodama to the mat by his hair. Kodama nails a dropkick. Beverly backdrops Kodama’s skull first onto the top turnbuckle. Kodama huracanrana’s Beverly to the corner. Beverly shoulder blocks him to the floor and kicks him into the crowd. Kodama throws him head first into the guardrails and a chair. Kodama sprigboard crossbody’s onto Beverly in the crowd. Beverly kicks Kodama to stop a suicide dive. Kodama whips him into the guardrail but then takes a boot. They trade strikes back in the ring. Beverly enzuigiri’s Kodama as he comes off the ropes. A Michinoku Driver gets him a two count. Beverly gets two with a Saito suplex. Kodama ducks a superkick and gives Beverly a modified spinebuster. Beverly catches Kodama and tosses him right on his face. Kodama uses the ropes to give Beverly a neckbreaker. Flexor gets on the apron to stop Jake Clemons count. Beverly superkicks Kodama and gives him a modified EVO for the pin at 7:26. I was surprised at how much intensity these two brought. They had a fun, compact brawl and managed to get the usually hated Kodama over as the defacto babyface. Props to them for that. **3/4

JLIT 2012 First Round Match
Ophidian vs. Gregory Iron

This is a rematch from “Joshimania: Night 2.” The dynamic in AIW is a bit different because Iron is not so beloved by certain Cleveland fans. Ophidian kicks Iron in the face right at the bell. Ophidian gives him a Northern Lights suplex. Iron responds with a Code Breaker and a Gimp Slap for two. Ophidian misses a twisting crossbody. Iron hits Handicapped Parking for two. Ophidian blocks his huracanrana with a buckle bomb. Ophidian gives him double knees from the top rope for two. Ophidian grabs his clavicle and lands an enzuigiri. He gets two with a slingshot quebrada. Ophidian puts him in the Lightning Lock for a quick moment. He calls for the Ophidian Death Grip. Iron escapes that and tries a prawn hold. Ophidian sits down on it and pins him at 4:38. Surprisingly short match and an upset considering Iron being a relatively big name in AIW. Not sure why this did not get more time, but this was going pretty good until the abrupt finish. *1/2

JLIT 2012 First Round Match
Archibald Peck vs. Colin Delaney

Veronica Ticklefeather is (unwillingly) in Peck’s corner. Delaney has on a CHIKARA shirt, making this somewhat of an old school CHIKARA vs. new school CHIKARA battle. Delaney tries to do some dancing which Peck is not feeling. Delaney takes off the referee’s shirt and tries to make it a match between Peck and referee Dave Dawson. Peck is not a fan of that either. Peck almost falls for some dancing in a stalled out test of strength. Delaney talks to Veronica and mocks Peck’s marching. Peck then comes out to march and Veronica refuses to participate. This makes Peck very sad. So sad that Delaney has to lead Peck through the match and acts hurt to bring up Peck’s spirits. Peck ends up hitting a leg lariat once he finds he smile. He marches around after dropping an elbow. Delaney brings Veronica into the ring and asks her and Peck to hug it out. Delaney then attacks Peck from behind as it was all an elaborate ruse. Peck drop toe holds Delaney across his knee. Delaney hip tosses Peck into a knee strike. Delaney dropkicks him in the stomach. Peck catches Delaney with a boot. He drop toe holds him into the corner and drives his elbow into Delaney’s neck. Peck’s spin-out backbreaker earns a two count. Peck drops him on his head for two. Peck calls for his finisher, the Cranial Crescendo. Delaney fights him on the ropes. Peck comes off the top and gets caught with a leg lariat. Peck kicks out. He misses a corner elbow. Veronica stops Peck from doing a slingshot maneuver. She wants Peck to dedicate the move to her. He does, but gets caught with a gutbuster. Delaney comes off the top with the 12 Large Elbow to the back of Peck’s neck for the pin at 15:06. I don’t think this clicked exactly as they wanted it to. Was some of the humor funny? Yes, but it was also disjointed. I thought once Delaney turned on Peck and showed his true colors that the match began to drag. At least we will get a continuation of the Delaney/Fontaine feud in the next round. Veronica leaves Peck by himself after the match. **1/2

JLIT 2012 First Round Match
Eric Ryan vs. Obariyon

Obariyon slaps Ryan instead of shaking his hand. Ryan throws a flurry of forearms before getting caught with a spinebuster. Ryan gives him a quesadora armdrag. Obariyon sends Ryan to the floor and suicide dives after him. In the ring Ryan avoids the Flying DDT. He double stomps Obariyon’s back for two. Obariyon gets two himself with a flying forearm. He whips Ryan into the corner. Obariyon catches Ryan with a back bracker for two. Ryan superkicks Obariyon into a German suplex. Obariyon lifts him. Ryan sunset flips through and Obariyon knees him in the face. Obariyon delivers the Reverse Go 2 Sleep for two. Ryan catches Obariyon on the top rope. Obariyon shoves him off and hits the Flying DDT. Ryan kicks out! Obariyon goes for it again. Ryan catches him with a superkick. He gives Obariyon the Package Piledriver for two which surprises Ryan. Ryan goes for a super Frankensteiner. Obariyon instead catches him with a second rope Styles Clash! Ryan kicks out of that. He hits another Package Piledriver to put Obariyon away at 8:08. That had a bit of finisher overkill, but was exciting and had the fans solidly in Ryan’s corner. The Batiri really shined in their singles outings tonight. ***

JLIT 2012 First Round Match
Tim Donst vs. Brian “Spanky” Kendrick

They reach a stalemate after fighting over a top wristlock. Kendrick goes for an armbar. Donst turns over into Camel Clutch. When Kendrick escapes Donst digs his fists into Kendrick’s legs. When Kendrick jumps to the second rope, Donst German suplexes him. He sends Kendrick out with the STO. Donst rubs his forearm into the side of Kendrick’s head and stretches his side out across the ring post. He gets two with a suplex back in the ring. Donst slams Kendrick on his stomach for the same result. Donst gives Kendrick a dangling backbreaker to the floor. Kendrick slams Donst’s face into his knee. Donst cleverly gives him a bulldog to take back control. Kendrick rolls up Donst to counter a German suplex. Donst throws Kendrick to the floor when Kendrick goes for a tornado DDT. Donst suicide dives onto him. Donst launches Kendrick from the ropes to the canvas. Kendrick fights off Donst’s shoulders and hits a leg lariat. He kicks Donst in the side of the head. Donst counters Sliced Bread #2. Kendrick superkicks Donst once coming off his shoulders. He misses a frogsplash. Donst immediately puts on From Dusk Til’ Donst. Kendrick gets his foot on the ropes. Donst goes for a power slam. Kendrick rolls through and small packages Donst for the pin at 9:28. This has to be the bracket buster for the tournament. I’m a little disappointed to see Donst lose so early, but he will get his due in AIW soon enough. The match itself was good, but like a few others matches tonight ended a bit abruptly. **3/4

Cleveland, OH – 5.12.2012 – Day Two

JLIT 2012 Quarter-Final Round
Josh Prohibition vs. Ophidian

Veronica Ticklefeather is out to scout this match. Ophidian goes for a few different quick pins but can’t get three. He thrusts Prohibition in the throat. Prohibition counters the Duat Driver with a wheelbarrow suplex. Prohibition boots Ophidian from the corner. He puts on a headscissors in the ropes. He butterfly suplexes Ophidian into a butterfly lock. Ophidian fights out and gets knocked back down. Ophidian Skins the Snake so he can headscissor Prohibition to the corner. He drives his knees into Prohibition’s head for two. Ophidian comes off the top with double knees for another two count. He tries to put on the Ophidian Death Grip. Prohibition gives him a brainbuster instead. Ophidian counters the Drunken Driver with a roll-up. He only gets two, so he sends Prohibition to the floor with an enzuigiri. He dives onto Prohibition with a twisting plancha. Ophidian misses a 450 splash. Prohibition hits the Drunken Driver for the pin at 5:08. I give them credit, for five minutes this packed a big punch. I wasn’t sure how these two would work together but it turned out pretty darn good. **1/2

The Batiri jump the Bob-Ombs from behind. Veronica is out again to scout. Vega baits the Batiri into the corner. He drops Kodama with a Complete Shot. Obariyon accidentally sentons his partner when trying to attack Fitchett. Obariyon snaps Vega’s neck on the top rope and Kodama gives him a spinwheel kick. The Batiri get in a few shots before Vega leapfrogs over Obariyon and tags in Fitchett. Fitchett trips Obariyon into a dropkick from Vega. The Bob-Ombs give him a neckbreaker/elbow drop combo for two. A double spinebuster is followed up with a double gut buster and double dropkick to the sides of his head. Kodama and Obariyon pull a Killer Bees switch. Obariyon comes in from the other side with a running forearm for two. Like Vega, Fitchett falls victim to the Batiri’s tandem offense. Fitchett escapes with an enzuigiri. Vega takes down Obariyon with a clothesline and back elbow. Vega gamengiri’s him from the apron and hits a top rope dropkick for two. Kodama blind tags in, allowing the Batiri to hit Vega with Scrambled Brains. Veronica’s demeanor shows she is clearly behind the Batiri in this contest. Kodama chokes Vega on the middle rope. Vega powerbombs Kodama out of the corner. He transitions into the Rings of Saturn. Obariyon puts Fitchett in an Octopus hold. Both submissions are broken. Kodama throw some serious dropkicks to Vega in the corner. Fitchett sends Obariyon to the floor. Vega gives Kodama a lungblower. Fitchett lionsaults Kodama onto Vega’s knees and then dives onto Obariyon. Vega pins Kodama at 9:43. This was a fun match, but I really don’t feel the Bob-Ombs really got the chance to shine. The Batiri got over, which I adore, but considering the Bob-Ombs were the winners I would have liked for them to get to show off a bit more. **3/4

Tim Donst vs. Ethan Page vs. Flip Kendrick vs. Facade

Kendrick and Page leave the ring to avoid a four way knuckle lock. When Donst and Façade start to wrestle, they attack them from behind. Façade sends Kendrick out and armdrags Page to the corner. Donst fights Kendrick on the floor. Façade leg lariats Page after ducking a clothesline. Page gets two with a side slam. Page puts on a headscissors. Donst turns both he and Façade over in a Boston Crab. Kendrick gives Donst a huracanrana. Donst drops him with a STO. Façade flips over Donst and Page, then springboard dropkicks them to the floor. Façade springboard sentons onto everybody on the floor. Page throws him into the barricades. Donst catches Kendrick’s crossbody. Kendrick sweeps his leg and hits a twisting senton for two. Page pops him up into a backbreaker. Façade gives Page a springboard enzuigiri. Donst breaks the cover. Façade ducks the bulldog. Donst catches Façade coming off the second ropes with an Ace Crusher. The Donstitution gets a two count. Donst drops Page off the ropes while Kendrick catches Façade mid-air with a lung blower. Page hits his jumping Ace Crusher on Donst, dropkicking Kendrick simultaneously. Façade springboards in with a spinwheel kick to Page. Kendrick gives Façade a springboard DDT. He then hits a moonsault senton. Donst puts Kendrick in From Dusk Til Donst. Kendrick taps out at 8:07. There was good wrestling for the most part, but the crowd never got into any of it. Donst gets a nice solid win here, allowing him to pick up the momentum he lost in his loss to Spanky yesterday. **1/2

In addition to the CHIKARA matches, I reviewed the tournament in its entirety. You can read my review of Day One here and Day Two here.